Local Congressmen Reviewing Starr Report

Congressional newcomer James Rogan, a first-term Republican from Glendale, said he’s relying on his experience as a levelheaded prosecutor and judge to guide him through possible impeachment proceedings against President Clinton.

Rogan and another colleague from the Valley, Rep. Howard Berman (D-Mission Hills), sit on the House Judiciary Committee, the panel charged with reviewing and acting upon the damaging report filed by independent counsel Kenneth Starr.

“I learned when I was a judge and a D.A. in L.A. County that it didn’t matter whether it was a simple purse snatching or a Charles Manson case. The rules of evidence and procedure are the same,” Rogan said.

“The system will work as long as we keep partisanship out of it and keep our focus,” he said. “If we do that, the voters will be kind to us, and history will be kind to us.”

Berman has shied away from commenting on the Starr report. The eight-term congressman is considered a leading Democratic facilitator on the Judiciary committee, having worked well in the past with committee chairman Henry Hyde (R-Ill.).

Last spring, House Speaker Newt Gingrich called on Rogan to determine how the House should proceed if Starr submitted his report--something that had never been done since the independent council statute was adopted.

On Thursday, Rogan described the mood in Congress as “sober.” Members realize now the debate over Clinton’s future as president is no longer a political exercise, he said.

“When our tenure is done in Congress, this is one of the things we’ll be remembered for,” Rogan said.

That certainly was the case for the man Rogan replaced: former Rep. Carlos J. Moorhead (R-Glendale).

Moorhead, who retired in 1996 after 24 years in the House, was among the members of the House Judiciary Committee who voted against the impeachment of President Richard Nixon over Watergate in 1974.

Moorhead said he’s less sure about President Clinton, who could face the same fate for the scandal over his sexual liaison with White House intern Monica S. Lewinsky.

“This whole thing is a sad affair for the country,” Moorhead said. “This president has committed some very serious offenses. There might not be a choice.”

Moorhead has no regrets about his votes on Nixon, but remembers it being a sad, wrenching time for Republicans and Democrats alike.

“The upheaval . . . was bad for the country,” Moorhead said. “Nixon had been an excellent president. He had been elected by a huge majority a couple months before.”

Still, the most damning evidence against Nixon still had not surfaced when the House Judiciary Committee voted on impeachment.

And Moorhead said he’s just as hesitant to judge Clinton before Starr’s report is made public. Moorhead predicts Clinton will be impeached by the House of Representatives, but that the Senate will vote against removing Clinton from office.

“I’m just happy I’m not in their place right now. It’s a very, very, tough thing they’re going through,” Moorhead said.

Gale Warnings

A stormy session is expected before the Los Angeles City Council today as the council takes up the reconfirmation of Department of Water and Power Commission President Rick Caruso.

Caruso, who is finishing an incomplete term he was appointed to fill, seeks another five-year term on the board. But controversy has broken out over his stance on the Chatsworth Reservoir.

The dry, 1,300-acre reservoir, located on the San Fernando Valley’s western edge, was mothballed decades ago, but is still owned by the DWP. City Councilman Hal Bernson and local conservationists have been trying for years to have it set aside as a wildlife preserve and a stopover for migrating birds. The council voted earlier this year to have the DWP lease the land to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

But Caruso has made it plain he has other ideas. “I think with 1,300 acres, there must be something else” that can be done with the land, he said. He has suggested a portion be set aside for wildlife, and the rest be developed as ballfields, or even structures. As president of the commission, Caruso has the power to thwart the council’s will, since the council can only overturn a commission decision after the fact.

Caruso called off the negotiations with the conservancy, and has said he won’t schedule a vote on a lease until further study has been done. Backers of the wildlife refuge, including Bernson, are incensed. Some have been working to preserve the reservoir for 20 years, and now see the fruit of their labors jeopardized. Dorian Keyser, of the Santa Susana Mountain Park Assn., said his group has collected 2,350 signatures on a petition opposing Caruso’s confirmation unless he agrees to the conservancy negotiations.

Given that the council voted unanimously to preserve the reservoir, “I would think as a City Council person I would be kind of upset about this,” Keyser said.

Bernson’s staff was busy distributing the petitions to council members Thursday. Keyser promises that today’s meeting will be packed with refuge supporters.

Bernson said he will oppose the confirmation if Caruso won’t budge on the reservoir issue, but concedes it’s doubtful the confirmation is in danger.

Few council members will want to take on Mayor Richard Riordan over his choice of nominee for the commission. For his part, Riordan recently reaffirmed his support for Caruso, issuing a statement saying he wholeheartedly supports the nomination, and touting Caruso’s leadership abilities and experience.

End in Sight

Valley VOTE is so confident its petition drive for a study and possible vote on secession of the San Fernando Valley will be successful, the group already is planning its victory party.

The festivities are scheduled for Oct. 23, by which time Valley VOTE expects to have the 135,000 signatures from registered voters necessary to trigger the secession study.

Success became almost automatic when Gov. Pete Wilson signed a three-month extension for the petition drive, which began in late May, said Jeff Brain, president of Valley Voters Organized Toward Empowerment. The petition deadline is now Nov. 27.

Valley VOTE has collected about 150,000 signatures, well on its way to its goal of 180,000 to 200,000. The extra signatures will ensure the petition qualifies, since some signatures may be disqualified if they belong to people who live outside the Valley or who are not registered to vote.

The October celebration will not be free. Party-goers are being asked to pay $135 per person--to symbolize the 135,000 signatures collected, and to raise money for the cost of the petition drive and Valley VOTE’s involvement in the study process. The group may be required to chip in for the secession study, which is expected to cost at least $1 million. The Local Agency Formation Commission is the state-sanctioned authority that will be required to study Valley secession if the petition drive succeeds.

If the study favors the creation of an independent Valley city, LAFCO must then decide whether to place the issue on the citywide ballot--which could happen as early as 2000. State lawmakers had set aside $340,000 for the process, contingent on the city and county of Los Angeles picking up the remainder, but the funding was vetoed by Gov. Pete Wilson.

Leaders of Valley VOTE believe it is the responsibility of the city and county to pay for the secession review.

“We’re hoping for the best and preparing for the worst,” said Brain.

Still, Valley VOTE needs to raise funds to take an active role in the secession study process, including the cost of paying for a land-use attorney, Brain said.

U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) is seeking federal assistance for the secession study from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.